VA Loma Linda Women’s Program Hosts Heart Health Event

The VA Loma Linda Healthcare System Women Veterans Program is participating in a national campaign Feb. 6 to raise awareness of heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women and women Veterans. VA and the American Heart Association’s “Go Red For Women” campaign is aimed at women Veterans and military audiences. The two organizations share a common mission to reach women with important information about heart disease. At the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center in Loma Linda, the Women Veterans Health Program is sponsoring a free health fair on the patio adjacent to the Eye Clinic and the Community Living Center, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A 2 kilometer (2K) Heart Walk will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, a Tai Chi class will begin at 10 a.m., and a Stretch Band exercise class will begin at 11 a.m. Women serve in every branch of the military, representing 15 percent of today’s active duty military and nearly 18 percent of National Guard and reserve forces. Women are now the fastest growing group within the Veteran community. For more information about the event, call Lisa Roybal, Women Veterans Program manager, (909)801-5961. For more information about the Women Veterans Health Program, visit www.lomalinda.va.gov/services/womenveterans.asp. The Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center is the centerpiece of the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System. Opened in 1977, it is located a half mile from its major affiliate, Loma Linda University. The VA Loma Linda Healthcare System is one of the top 15 employers in the Inland Empire. With approximately 2,700 employees and 1,000 volunteers, it serves more than 72,000 Veterans with a wide variety of services through inpatient and outpatient care.